Exemplary embodiments herein generally relate to vehicle cabin intrusion management, and, more particularly, relate to a hanger beam assembly for preventing cabin intrusion of a vehicle part during a crash incident.
As is well known, hanger beam assemblies are structural components that extend between the vehicle A-pillars and serve as a mount for the vehicle dashboard, instrument panels, and a steering column assembly. Conventional hanger beam assemblies are formed from a variety of steel components, typically steel tubes and stampings, which are mechanically affixed to one another to form a relatively unitary structure.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has a New Car Assessment Program which includes an AF5% occupant on the passenger side of a vehicle. The NHTSA point systems includes femur load as part of their criteria. In order to achieve a good score, the femur loads must be reduced by about 75% to 80% during a crash incident. FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically illustrate a problem associated with a known vehicle assembly 100 during a crash incident. The vehicle assembly 100 includes an engine compartment 110 for housing a vehicle part, such as an engine 112, and a passenger compartment 114, particularly a front passenger side of the passenger compartment. The passenger compartment 114 is separated from the engine compartment 110 by a firewall 116. A HVAC system 120 is positioned in the passenger compartment 114 between the firewall 116 and a dashboard 122. The HVAC system includes a blower assembly 124 having an upper portion 126 and a lower portion 128 which houses a blower motor (not shown). The dashboard 122 is at least partially supported by a hanger beam assembly 130 and includes a storage compartment or glovebox 132. A knee bolster (not shown) is provided in the glovebox area of the dashboard 122.
During a crash incident, the engine 112 can be pushed back and can intrude into the firewall 116 and passenger compartment 114. This can drive the upper portion 126 of the HVAC blower assembly 124 into the hanger beam assembly 130 and the lower portion 128 into the glove box area of a dashboard 122. The upper portion 126 is deformed or crushed by the hanger beam assembly 130. However, with the depicted vehicle assembly 100, the lower portion 128 can push the dashboard 122 including the knee bolster into the legs 140 of the occupant 142 causing an increase in femur load.